So, I've been fiddling about with various games on Rails so that if I should get a chance to play this 18xx or that one face-to-face I won't be completely overwhelmed. My little experiments have all been 3P and no higher, because honestly, I have a hard enough time making decisions for one person, let alone two imaginary ones.

So, anyway, to my question-- the four-trains are on their way, probably the next set of OR. One of my "players" has one of his minors-- I think it was number four-- buy a 2 train a piece from two of his other minors, leaving it with $0.

In the next Stock Round, another player, who was currently in the lead, floated a company and merged in a minor with one 2T. My other player merges in his minor, giving the new major three more 2Ts that are going to rust before the new major has a chance to operate.

Now, this didn't really have any lasting effect-- no dividends the first round it ran, but it had more than enough to then buy a "4" train.

But it got me to thinking: is there a situation where this sort of tactic could be useful? Maybe a minor with a couple of 3-Trains could be merged into another player's new major so that it operates in its first round at maximum capacity-- thus preventing that major, opened perhaps largely to push the train rush (as the founding player's other companies are maxed out), from doing so?

Does anyone have any experiences where this sort of thing would pay off? Are these legitimate or useful tactics in more experienced hands than mine, or just a distraction?

It sounds like you are thinking the correct way as to possibilities but the thing to remember in a solitare game is that real opponents may have differant, perhaps incorrect ideas which will change your plans.

Guessing who will or won't buy a train when is always a hazard and you want your plans to be robust enough to cover differant contingencies.

However you almost never fold 3's into an opponents company in EU. They are too valuable running in minors or making sure your own company moves forward it's first OR. If he is completely train tight in all his companies it might work. But if he has any space in a minor with cash (or even someone else's major who runs before his) then the major might not be train tight by it's turn. Regardless, four trains running forward and paying into the company for non-sold shares is generally a wonderful thing and he would avoid having to buy a non-permanent 4 train.

So based on the limited knowledge of the situation, I would say it is probably not a good idea but specifics might change that.

It sounds like you are thinking the correct way as to possibilities but the thing to remember in a solitare game is that real opponents may have differant, perhaps incorrect ideas which will change your plans.

Very true! I try to be very careful not to mistake this sort of solitaire fooling-about for a real game, especially with games as interactive as the 18xx.

Quote:

However you almost never fold 3's into an opponents company in EU. They are too valuable running in minors or making sure your own company moves forward it's first OR. If he is completely train tight in all his companies it might work. But if he has any space in a minor with cash (or even someone else's major who runs before his) then the major might not be train tight by it's turn. Regardless, four trains running forward and paying into the company for non-sold shares is generally a wonderful thing and he would avoid having to buy a non-permanent 4 train.

So based on the limited knowledge of the situation, I would say it is probably not a good idea but specifics might change that.